


What You Don't Know (Won't Yurt You)

by AkisMusicBox



Category: Skip Beat!
Genre: Don't copy to another site, F/M, I mean it's basically two idiots one bed but with glamping, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Only one yurt at that, Rain, Trapped in a Storm, Yurt Fic, Yurt/Comfort, and there was only one bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:01:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24480931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkisMusicBox/pseuds/AkisMusicBox
Summary: On opposite sides of a luxurious yurt, on a verdant, isolated coast of Japan, far away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, two very different conversations held over the phone, in tones ill-suited to the beauty that surrounded them.On one side of the yurt, facing inland, Ren Tsuruga sat on one of the mini-Stonehenges that formed benches around the firepit while the soddened ground threatened to steal his loafers. "Ren, what are you talking about? The photoshoot was postponed because of the weather! Don't tell me you're at the yurt with her right now?" [...]On the other side of the yurt, Kyoko sat on a damp rock near the cliffside, tasting the salt spray on her lips. "President Takarada, this has gone too far. We can't even get back to the hotel because Tsuruga-san's car can't handle the muddy roads!"
Relationships: Mogami Kyoko/Tsuruga Ren
Comments: 11
Kudos: 36
Collections: Baby Don't Yurt Me





	What You Don't Know (Won't Yurt You)

**Author's Note:**

> An attempt at third omniscient POV was made. A foolish, ever-frustrating attempt.
> 
> [ This place is real and majestic and I want to go to there.](http://www.reefbreakresort.com/)

On opposite sides of a luxurious yurt, on a verdant, isolated coast of Japan, far away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, two very different conversations held over the phone, in tones ill-suited to the beauty that surrounded them.

On one side of the yurt, facing inland, Ren Tsuruga sat on one of the mini-Stonehenges that formed benches around the firepit while the soddened ground threatened to steal his loafers. "Ren, what are you talking about? The photoshoot was postponed because of the weather! Don't tell me you're at the yurt with her right now?" his agent, Yukihito Yashiro asked with barely contained glee.

"I was not informed of that," Ren said, his temper creeping up him like a bad rash. The air was growing humid in the mid-afternoon sun, making his clothes start to cling to him.

"You were indeed," Yashiro countered. "I forwarded you the information yesterday afternoon. I told you to double-check your email filter! I know you don't like those chain emails, but --"

Ren bit back a growl as he turned on speakerphone and opened his inbox. "I set a different filter for you, Yashiro, your emails should always be marked as 'important'." A few clicks later, he found the mail in question, filed away in a folder called "Nonsense".

"Dammit."

"I offered to set up the filters myself. You have to put an exception in that rule." Yashiro's tone was growing far smugger than Ren found tolerable.

"If you want to fry another one of my phones, you're going to have to try harder than that..."

On the other side of the yurt, Kyoko sat on a damp rock near the cliffside, tasting the salt spray on her lips. "President Takarada, this has gone too far. We can't even get back to the hotel because Tsuruga-san's car can't handle the muddy roads!"

Lory Takarada's voice on the other end of the phone was only slightly amused. "Mogami-kun, I had an employee stock and perform routine maintenance so it's a perfectly sound place to spend the night. And, to be crystal clear, I did not tell, suggest, or even hint toward Ren to offer to drive you. Perhaps you can ask him yourself why he wanted to spend the hour and a half drive with you, instead of with the van provided by the photoshoot."

She scraped her nails against the rock and squeaked. "Why? What... what _good_ comes from me asking that?"

The conversations went on like that until voices on the other side began to cut out. Then, a low rumble of thunder followed. That was there signal to return to the yurt, every _squish, squish, squish_ of the rain-saturated ground filling their guts with trepidation.

When they met by the door, Kyoko spoke first. "President Takarada says that nobody can pick us up until the storms clear. That likely won't be until the morning, at least."

Ren nodded. "Yashiro is rescheduling our engagements. I'm taking an impromptu vacation and you were called away to help with a family emergency."

Kyoko wrinkled her nose. Ren sighed. "I know, I know. But if the scenarios were reversed, it'd raise questions. Or, if it were known we were together..."

Kyoko flinched. "Right, right. Yashiro knows what he's doing." The first drops of rain dotted the straps of her sky-blue dress.

Ren opened the door. "Guess we might as well get comfortable." He bit his lip as Kyoko slipped inside, regretting his choice of words instantly. What could possibly make a girl like her comfortable with this arrangement? What could convince her that this entire situation truly was an accident?

The phrase did nothing to calm her nerves as she entered. Polished, wooden floors, a wide, circular couch along one wall, a kitchenette, and a chair shaped like a hand would have, on any other day, amused her as something only the President of LME could have crafted. Despite the gesture the chair made, nothing could possibly "OK" about the fact that there was only one bed on the wall opposite the couch. "He said that we should have plenty of supplies," she said as the door clicked behind her.

"That's a relief," he said as she scurried to the mini-fridge next to the kitchenette.

"Milk, eggs, ham, ketchup..." Her voice grew soft as she listed off ingredients. Then, she darted to the cupboard and rifled through it as well, as she had forgotten she was narrating. She stood abruptly and slammed a hand on the counter. "Right! We can safely get at least three meals out of these supplies, five if I keep it simple."

Ren's eyes widened. "Are you convinced we'll be stuck here multiple days?"

She flinched, mouth gaping like a fish for a quiet, piercing moment before the rain began to fall on the yurt in earnest. The see-through plastic windows made the lush trees green blurs. The _pat pat pat_ of the rain demanded an answer. "I -- I'd rather be prepared, that's all."

"Right," he said, his gaze drifting towards the CRT TV near the foot of the bed. "It seems there's plenty of entertainment, for the meantime," he said, gesturing to the shelf of books and VHS tapes. "Is there something you'd like to watch?"

"Something that will broaden my horizons," she said almost instantly.

"Horizons?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

Her eyes darted in the direction of the furnace. "I need to stop getting typecast."

"Ah." He busied himself looking through the VHS tapes until he landed on something promising. "How about working on more casual English? A modern retelling of _Emma_ might just do the trick."

"Hm," Kyoko said, rubbing her chin. "That sounds promising."

The logistics of where both of them would sit proved the longest forty-eight seconds of their lives. The hand chair, while providing appropriate isolation, seemed a bit too _suggestive_ for comfort. The couch provided abundant space and comfort, but exactly how far apart one could sit while still having adequate sight of the TV was not only a question of practicality but impression. The tension was only alleviated when Ren grabbed a stack of the multicolored throw pillows and put them in the middle of the couch. He found a seat at the far end of the couchand leaned against the remaining pillow.

Kyoko eagerly claimed a seat next to the stack, situating them in such a way where she could use them as an adequate barrier. The movie's combination of bright outfits and colloquialisms kept Kyoko transfixed for the most part until about halfway through, when she looked up and saw Ren's gaze was toward the outside.

He was staring out the rain-streaked window at the white blur that was his car. It was slowly being consumed by mud -- the wheels beginning to sink into the ground, while the pristine white paint was spattered with mud.

Kyoko's eyebrow twitched. She turned her attention back to the TV, a mumble of "What's the point?" coming out of her lips.

"What?" he asked, turning his attention to her.

"Nothing," she said lightly, but irritation tinted her tone enough that it was evident.

"Mogami-san, what are you asking for the point of?" His own irritation was beginning to rise as well.

"What is the point of spending so much money on a car that you can't drive when it's wet outside!" She sat up straight.

He did as well. "It's a performance car, Mogami-san, meant for paved roads. Like, the road we took to get here, or did you happen to be oblivious to the smooth ride and powerful acceleration?"

She pulled her knees up to her chest and scrunched her nose. "I didn't know I was supposed to be paying attention! The only thing I tend to notice is just how cramped the back seat gets."

Ren rolled his eyes. "As if I always make you ride in the back."

She chewed her lip. "Well, sometimes I don't know what's right for a kohai! So it's better to just assume."

"Perhaps it makes more sense to _ask,_ " he grumbled, more to the TV than to her.

She snorted and shook her head. "Because you're so good at giving a straight answer."

"Fine!" he burst. "What do you want to know? Ask away, no filter."

She grabbed her knees and squeezed. "Why did you invite me to ride with you? There was a perfectly good van that I could have rode in and spoke with my coworkers to prepare."

"What perpetration? It's for the DVD release. A half-day photoshoot with the cast is nothing for you after you dealt with such a grueling filming schedule." He ran his finger through his hair and sighed.

Thunder rolled as the _pat pat pat_ quickened.

He deflated. "I thought that the ride would be enjoyable. A luxury car down to the coast, we'd make it before Ogata's van arrived, so I'd have time to..." He ran a hand down his face. "I won an award, Mogami-san. Katsuki won an award."

She slowly unraveled as a smile bloomed on her face. "That's amazing, Tsuruga-san! I knew you could do it! I knew --"

He shook his head. "Please, listen. I couldn't have done it without your help. You're the only reason I was able to... truly understand some aspects of Katsuki. Not to mention the whole Tragic Marker disaster. You're the only reason I made it through that as well."

Kyoko's head titled. "Disaster?"

"It wasn't exactly smooth sailing, was it? I asked way too much of you." He swallowed. "But I was hoping to... not make up for it, but at least convey to you my appreciation. Do something to help you understand how --"

A crack of lightning cut him off. The lights flickered and the TV turned off. Kyoko shrieked and contracted once again. Her hands clamped over her ears and her eyes slammed shut, drawing panicked breaths.

Ren leaned over and grabbed her tense shoulders. "It's okay Mogami-san! It's just a storm, it'll pass." The lights flicked back on. The TV filled with snow as the static blended into the rain in the background. Her eyes peeked open and found his, searching. "Just listen to me," he said. "Listen to my voice."

The tension in her shoulders started to melt, so he continued. "Just think about how a storm like this would be used in a show. I'm kind of surprised adult Katsuki never had a monologue in a storm."

She let go of her head and gave a nervous chuckle. "It'd have to be after he fell for Mizuki. Angry at fate for making him fall for her. Wanting his vengeance to overtake his heart, swearing to cut out the piece of him that makes him feel."

He let a storm enter his eyes as his voice grew dark. "Love couldn't save my father, it will only be my end as well. She'll become nothing more than a scourge on my soul. Even the sun burns those who stare into it too long. I refuse to be turned into ash!"

She laughed and unfolded her legs. "That's quite the delivery, but maybe leave the script to the writers." She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. It's not fair that you keep having to deal with the remnants of my mother's mistakes."

The teasing couldn't bother him; he only smiled. "That's probably for the best. And don't apologize. I want you to rely on me when you need it." His thumb rubbed a small circle on her right shoulder.

She swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Thank you." Her shoulders felt cold when he let her go. "I'll get the movie going again." She slipped off of the couch.

When the film resumed, Kyoko took her seat next to her stack of pillows but leaned on them instead of using them as a barrier. Ren didn't lean away.

The sound of the rain paused around the end of the movie but was soon replaced by the sound of Kyoko cooking. The evening meal was an omelette-based affair. Ren had to resist the temptation of opening one of the bottles of sake on the shelf while he washed the dishes afteward.

And perhaps, sake could have even longer delayed the reality that the small furnace couldn't adequately heat the entire yurt as the temperature dropped outside. The heater's proximity to the bed told Ren that Kyoko needed to sleep there. He was a big man and he believed he could convince her the bed was too small for him.

By the time it came to that negotiation, the rain has begun again, a drizzle coating the windows. "At least take the top blanket," she said, stripping the orange and yellow cover off of the bed.

He took it without complaint.

The furnace provided just enough of a glow to cast faint shadows as they bedded down. But somehow, despite the distance, laying down opposite of one another demanded intimacy. Vulnerability.

Another crack of lightning caused Kyoko to jump under her covers.

"You're safe," Ren said, finding her eyes. "The sound of the rain will help you sleep, I promise."

She tried to nod while laying on her side, but it came out more like a stutter. She was shaking. "It's cold still, Tsuruga-san," she said softly. A barely noticeable pink rose in her cheeks and she pulled her blanket up far enough to cover all but her eyes.

"You can have the blanket," he said, pushing himself to a seat.

She shook her head vigorously. "No, that's not what I was trying to say. I... don't try to deny it, Tsuruga-san, you're cold too! I can see it on your arms."

And she could -- hairs on the back of them raised to fierce attention. "Nothing that won't pass."

The blanket came down from her face, a fraction of the way, but it was clear she had been biting her lip. "It might help both of us if we were to... It's not like we haven't before, as Setsuka and Cain..."

Embarrassment oozed in Kyoko's every word while the very same words twisted Ren's gut. It wasn't even the impression of the outside world that caused either feeling, but the fear of the unknown. The fear of rejection.

Ren laid back down. "Hold that thought, please. Don't ask until I explain myself fully."

She clenched her jaw and nodded.

"I wasn't just trying to tell you how much I appreciated you. I wanted to ask you..." His own face was flushing by then. "To be my date to the award show. And before you begin on the self-depreciating talk, I've already decided that I'm going either with you or I'm going alone. Because no matter what, I'd be thinking of you the entire time anyway."

The tapping of the rain on the canvas seemed so far away from the deafening silence that lay between them, only made bearable by the tether between them that was their shared gaze. It asked questions they dare not speak.

"What would people think?" she finally whispered.

"I don't care," he whispered back.

Quiet fell again in that moment between breaths. Then, Kyoko sat upright. "On one condition," she said.

He looked up at her, hopeful. "What is it?"

"Share this bed with me tonight."

 _Pat pat pat pat_ was the soundtrack as Ren Tsuruga stood, grabbed his blanket, and crossed the room to the bed. With a flick, he laid it back over the bed. Kyoko moved to scoot towards the wall of the yurt, but Ren shook his head and crawled over her. He slipped under the covers and put his back to the wall. "You'll get too cold on this that side."

And there they laid, curled, facing each other, mere inches apart.

"Good night, Tsuruga-san," Kyoko said.

"Good night, Mogami-san."

And it was there they slept, barely moving throughout their slumber, the warmth seeping through them and the rain stilling them.

The storms ended in the early morning, but the quarter-mile with of road needed to reach the highway was still impassible by breakfast. They could have taken Takarada up on his offer to send someone to go get them, but the sun would be shining all day that day. The roads would dry by that afternoon, or perhaps that evening.

They decided to save Takarada the trouble and wait it out.


End file.
